Time Precious Time

I used to 'play' in my studio, the light heartedness implied by the term play was intentional, I didn't want to get too serious for fear of chasing the muses away.
As children we weren't allow to play until our chores were done, a practice that taught us a deeply engrained work ethic and a very practical bent, the unfortunate consequence was that that word 'play' became a deterrent.
It took me years to figure out why I felt like I had to do everything else first before I could focus on my art, that darn word....
It's amazing what a difference specific language can  make. I've long called my art my work, but the process was different, or was it? After all the process is important to me, that's what I derive joy from.
Each painting is an experiment, a learning opportunity, a chance to push the medium a bit further, and the wielder of the medium too.
Calling the process 'work' gives it the respect that it deserves, and helps me to carve time from an overloaded schedule every day.
It's the all too common lament I hear from artists, there is paper work to do, marketing, networking, schlepping your work hither and yon, applications to fill out classes to prep/teach etc etc etc. Then of course there's family and house hold stuff...ARGH!
My solution? It's a job. I have to show up 5 days a week. I have a calendar hanging on the studio door that I check off every day that I work, even if it's only for a short time.
Some days all I can punch in for is a few minutes, but it's amazing what you can do if you consistently day after day work 15 minutes here and there.
As you have guessed, I don't wait for inspiration. Inspiration comes from the work, a lesson learned from Chuck Close who famously said "inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work"
Do you find it hard to find time for your art? What solutions work for you? Share share, we all need ways to create more time!

The Hill on Mapleton Line, Glazed Acrylic Robin Baratta, 16x20, juried into STEPAC In View Of The Artist Show.

Getting ahead. What a feeling!

I'm glad I have my work ready for the Port Stanley Show, I've been able to get some gardening in, and I've got a good start on work for the Westland Squarefoot Show this week! 

Like many artists, I'm an avid gardener, I've used my garden as reference material many times.

This time is the year I usually feel very torn between spending time in the garden, and time in the studio, with the weather usually being the deciding factor. This week has definatly been gardening weather, it's wonderful to be able to indulge without guilt. 

Almost done, a tweek here and there to do and it will be ready to mount on board. 

name to be chosen by contest sign up for my mailing list to participate

I just need a name now...

Ignore The Experts

As an avid reader of all things art I noticed that sometimes I put too much credence in the word of the so called experts.

Case in point, this blog: the experts say 'content is king!' 'Consistency is every thing!' 'Stick to a schedule' Have a theme' too much advise and after years of postings suddenly this blog was in danger of dying. 

By trying to have interesting and informative content for every post it became work. It started to languish and was fast entering the land of the abandoned blogs. 

So, I'm back to blogging for me. I never really cared if anyone else read this, it started as a way for me to record and think through my own progress. Be warned if you do read this blog, it's  all about me....again 😊

The finished results from last post:

Sculpted by wind 8x10, $130.00 contact

The Marsh, 8x10, $130.00 contact

Priorities

The weekends I have my grand kids I often don't get to post, they take priority. We wore them out yesterday and they're still sleeping so I have a few minutes to spend with you.
A close friend recently posted on her facebook wall that she would no longer be sharing all of the 'scare posts' about the apocalypse of the day. Instead she was picking one cause, it didn't mean that she didn't care about the others, just that she was setting her priorities.
A common theme in art business advice columns is to find a style and subject matter and stick to it, make it your priority. Multi arting, like multi tasking, doesn't work for most of us, according to the 'experts'.
Priorities.
What a loaded word.
For the last 15 or so years I've had the thread of an environmental message running through my work. My focus has shifted and become less specific, currently habitat loss is my inspiration .
I think with maturity I've realised that one priority can be applied to all of the things that concern me, it doesn't mean I'm less dedicated, I've just distilled my focus to the one common link that all of my concerns share.
What about you, do you have one over riding priority that motivates your behaviour?
Set aside some time this summer to think about the things/people/causes that mean the most to you, define your concerns, hone your focus.
How do you express it?
What actions are you able to take, small things do count.
If you pick up a few pieces of garbage every time you go for a walk, if you inspire someone else  to do the same. and they inspire someone.... it does't take much to start a grass roots movement.
As long as at lest one person makes it a priority.  

Just Down The Road #6, Helkmara Line, Glazed Acrylic, 12x12, Robin Baratta, $180.00 contact for info

The Lorax, one of my favourite books, by one of my favourite Authors, the very wise Dr. Suess 

The Fallback Plan

Recently I was reading an article about fallback plans. The article was about keeping up your exercise and healthy eating habits during the busy summer months, but I think many artists also need one for their art practice, or at lest this artist does!
The term fall back plan was apparently coined by Stonewall Jackson during the civil war, the story goes that he never went into battle with out first planning a retreat that would give him a defensible point to regroup, then resume attacking.
It seems counter intuitive to plan a retreat before an attack, but by planning ahead he was able to keep losses to a minimum, and gains to a maximum.
There is no doubt that many of us lose ground during the summer months. The kids/grandkids are off school and need attention. The garden is producing weeds faster than a mere mortal gardener can keep ahead of. Spouses expect strange things like, meals, clean laundry, and most startling of all participation in family events and vacations.
What's a poor artist to do!?! Why doesn't the world understand that this is plein aire season, and art shows, art fairs, art in the park all need attending.
It's very easy for things to slip between the cracks. In my art practice unfortunately it's the creation of art it's self that often gets short shrift, lessons have to be planned, and taught. Paperwork has to be kept up to date, and all of the afore mentioned need attending to too.
Over the years I've created many plans, but for me, it comes down to very simply planning each day. When I do that I can usually find a hour or two a few times a week, that I can declare protected and exclusively for the production of art, the hard task then is to make the mental shift to creative on cue.
More on that.....next week.

work in progress, 3rd texture layer.

The How's and Whys of Buying Art According to Chatalaine

In my last post I talked about Big Box store art, vs 'real art', who buys what and for what reason.
Interestingly, right after I wrote that I read this article in Chatelaine and it's second part.
The best advise the articles give is very simple.
 Buy art because you love it.

These two paintings are on their way to the Westland Square Foot Show.

Nature's Still Life, glazed acrylic, Robin Baratta, 12x12, $180.00

The Chutes, glazed acrylic, Robin Baratta, 12x12, $180.00

And this one too, assuming it gets done on time!!!

work in progress: the initial sketch, tentatively called Just Down The Road #3

Public Education

There has been a debate raging in an online form I frequent. It started with the familiar lament of an artist deploring big box store 'art 'and the people who buy it.
From there the discussion cycled through how do we producers of real art compete, should we even try, and ended up at how do we educate the public about the value of real art?
All I could think was.... it's apples and oranges folks.
Big box store art, or art by the yard is usually made in a Chinese art factory, and often sold for less then the supplies would cost in an art supply store. Decor hunters love a pretty bargain, and as trend followers usually think of said pretty bargain as being disposable.
Artists, these are not your target market.
Granted with education some of them may be turned into collectors, but not often, for collecting is a different mind set.
Collectors look for value, they want keepers, not disposable trophies.
It behooves us the artistic community then to  focus on the value of what we produce, it's uniqueness, it's local flavour, and it's universality.
We sell emotion made tangible , and their response to it, after all they buy our art because they love the art, and that is the real value of art!

Skyward! 12x12, $160.00, glazed acrylic, contact for info

This piece is currently at The Art Emporium, and has been submitted to the Port Stanley Artists' Guild Show June 5-7 at the Port Stanley Legion.

Sentinel, painting in progress

The working title for this painting is Sentinel.

It's the second painting taken from some of my SC sketches. 

This is at a very early stage, first layers of both texture, and glazes are down, with many more of each to come.

And here it is done.

Beach Sentinal: 8x10, gazed acrylic  Sold

Lessons From The Beach, part 3,

What People Watching Taught Me

At the risk of sounding like another 'stop and smell the roses' post, I'd like to tell you a little story.

One day dog and I were walking the beach, there were herons and egrets fishing the shallows, with a host of other shore birds. Dolphins were playing in the bay, while an eagle soared overhead. Predictably I was rubbernecking, gawking, trying to soak it all in. 

I realized that several people had passed by, not pausing or looking. A gentleman with another dog approached and as our dogs greeted each other we chatted, I asked did you see the dolphins? 

No, he didn't, the eagle?  No. The green heron perched in the tree he'd just passed? No. 

As artists, we see. 

We see, and I believe that in part it is our job, our duty to show the average unseeing persons the beauty and wonder of our world through our art. A friend calls unseeing average persons muggles. Harry Potter fans will recognize muggles as non magical folk. 

Artists, we have a powerful magic, use it.  The unseeing can't learn to hold dear, and wondrous, what they can't see. 

I believe that this applies to everything that we deem worth of brush time.

Deborah Tilley paints wonderful craggy faces that tell stories of lives full of hardship, Candy McManiman paints the ubiquitous Canada Goose clothed in beautiful colour and elegant line,  Kit Cutting, dogs- especially senior dogs with gentle souls, love visible in every stroke of her brush. 

I could go on, these are only a very few of the magical artists opening our eyes to what is around us. 

 Artists keep seeing, keep creating. The world needs us. 

I Love Sumac

I've loved sumac since I was a kid.

 I love their umbrella shape, and how their clumping behavior, creates great hiding spots for small creatures .

Especially, I love their autumn colour. 

This is a favorite clump, growing at Yarmouth Center Line and John Wise. I pass it on my way to the Art Emporium, and admire it every time. 

The painting is 16x16,

But I'm toying with cropping it to a more traditional  16x12, what do you think?

I Love Sumac, glazed acrylic on terraskin mounted on cradled board, 
Update, this is the one I selected.  contact

Thanks For The Peppers, done

A couple of weeks ago one of my students mom gifted me with a bushel of peppers from her garden, they were so beautiful that I decided to paint a mini of them for her as a thank you.

Thanks for the peppers, 6x6, terraskin mounted on cradled board, contact

Square foot entry, needs a name

My entry for the Art Emporium 1-2-3 foot squares show is done, it just needs to be mounted now.

Anyone have a name suggestion?

24x24, glazed acrylic, $375 part of the ditches series. SOLD

Also just finished

Series: the pond, mini #2, 6x6, $55 SOLD

The Start Of Something Big?

One painting just about finished, but I'm thinking this is the start of a new series.

Coming home from our camping trip in July I enjoyed being a passenger, and I found myself fascinated by unmown ditches. 

Each was a fecund micro environment with a character of its own. By comparison the sterile sameness of the monocultured fields seemed dreary. 

The sky in photo is just a bit purple compared to the original, but the rest of the colours are really close.   24x18,  glazed acrylic, Trueman Line, Ditches #1, $320.00, soon to be at The Art Emporium, in Port Stanley. contact

Paintings for Westland's Square Foot Show

I've taken my three paintings in to the Westland. Thanks to my Facebook friends for helping me choose which ones.

The opening is July 18th at 7:30 and the show runs till August 16th. 

The Westland is run by Al and Karen Stewart of the Art Exchange, and is just down the street from the original location in Wortley village, at 156 Wortley Rd in the historic Westland building. 

My entries are: Dr Suess's Garden SOLD

Green on Green

And Road Less Traveled SOLD

I hope to see you there!